King Skateboards

[Lepanto]

New tyshawn brand...

Thought aboout the 1st video?

Info about the deck? wood and other details info? honestly i think its ps wood but idk yet

ig: https://www.instagram.com/kingskateboards/?hl=es

[Urtripping]

The graphic is cool as hell. I teach my 5th graders about Mansa Musa each year in a social studies unit on West African Kingdoms.

[modern life is war]

The graphic is cool as hell. I teach my 5th graders about Mansa Musa each year in a social studies unit on West African Kingdoms.

Lol why? Surely there are more interesting people to teach about

[oyolar]

You guys are joking right? Why teach kids about this clearly very important historical figure? By calling him uninteresting, you're betraying your bigotry. A slave owning emperor? Sure he owned slaves and that sucks but many people oowned slaves throughout history and have you critiqued any other graphics referencing slaveholding time or pro-US graphics or any graphics referencing Greek or Roman history?

It really fucking sucks to see that 2 of the 3 responses to this thread (which didn't need to exist btw - there are plenty of threads about King) just fall into racist holier-than-thou rhetoric.

[Lepanto]

Calm down guys, mansa musa is nobody, was just a mega rich african king that only did owning gold and make a mega inflation on its way to the meca due to gold ridiculous gold tips to people. No matter if he had slaves.. was a common way to run on that age.. its sad but then the things was like that. Accept and move on.

Its a irrelevant figure, just good to flex about hes little history of excesive richness.. its just some tyshawn ego flex, is cool, its a nice graphic but just it, pose. Personally id like to get one of that crown logo decks.. maybe on green but guess it’s impossible to get  at tye momento on Spain

Btw.. somebody get one? Id love to get a review

Somebody’s know what board size tyshawn skate?

[veritas]

That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

[Urtripping]

That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

What's really cool is that it has people discussing an ancient African ruler whose positive impact on the development of the modern world has been largely erased by the rewriting of history after European colonialism. Hopefully some of these dudes will be able to get past the fact that a king practiced slavery 700 years ago and understand the intention of the board graphic.

[modern life is war]

Expand Quote

That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

[close]

What's really cool is that it has people discussing an ancient African ruler whose positive impact on the development of the modern world has been largely erased by the rewriting of history after European colonialism. Hopefully some of these dudes will be able to get past the fact that a king practiced slavery 700 years ago and understand the intention of the board graphic.

what was his positive impact?

[Urtripping]

Expand Quote

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That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

[close]

What's really cool is that it has people discussing an ancient African ruler whose positive impact on the development of the modern world has been largely erased by the rewriting of history after European colonialism. Hopefully some of these dudes will be able to get past the fact that a king practiced slavery 700 years ago and understand the intention of the board graphic.

[close]

what was his positive impact?

I'll give you one freebie: oversaw the development of Timbuktu into the largest intellectual center in Africa at the time, a flourishing city where the quality of life, even for the enslaved, was considerably higher than that in other parts of the world by many metrics (especially Europe, with it's own oppressive social structures and the black plague running rampant).

You don't fucking understand why the dude put him on the graphic so please just go and Google Mansa Musa and then hopefully you will shut up about it here. He's a symbol of black excellence (and yes, an IMPERFECT one), but still a valid one. His significance to the black community as a representation of a time when black people lived without  race based persecution and the influence of European colonialism should be enough for you fuckers to understand you should either learn about it or leave this the hell alone. Holding him to 16th-20th century standards with regards to slavery and acting like he's evil does not make sense.

Edit: and to answer your stupid fucking question from earlier, I teach a class comprised entirely of black and Latino students. It is much more interesting to them to learn about an extremely powerful person who looks like them than the white slave owning founding fathers. I still teach about those dudes, too, and all of their nuance, without just  seeing them as irredeemable or condemning anyone who tries to see the value in what they did.

[Made In China]

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That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

[close]

What's really cool is that it has people discussing an ancient African ruler whose positive impact on the development of the modern world has been largely erased by the rewriting of history after European colonialism. Hopefully some of these dudes will be able to get past the fact that a king practiced slavery 700 years ago and understand the intention of the board graphic.

[close]

what was his positive impact?

[close]

I'll give you one freebie: oversaw the development of Timbuktu into the largest intellectual center in Africa at the time, a flourishing city where the quality of life, even for the enslaved, was considerably higher than that in other parts of the world by many metrics (especially Europe, with it's own oppressive social structures and the black plague running rampant).

You don't fucking understand why the dude put him on the graphic so please just go and Google Mansa Musa and then hopefully you will shut up about it here. He's a symbol of black excellence (and yes, an IMPERFECT one), but still a valid one. His significance to the black community as a representation of a time when black people lived without  race based persecution and the influence of European colonialism should be enough for you fuckers to understand you should either learn about it or leave this the hell alone. Holding him to 16th-20th century standards with regards to slavery and acting like he's evil does not make sense.

Edit: and to answer your stupid fucking question from earlier, I teach a class comprised entirely of black and Latino students. It is much more interesting to them to learn about an extremely powerful person who looks like them than the white slave owning founding fathers. I still teach about those dudes, too, and all of their nuance, without just  seeing them as irredeemable or condemning anyone who tries to see the value in what they did.

This reply and the way you approach teaching young kids is some king shit.

[Xen]

Calm down guys, mansa musa is nobody, was just a mega rich african king that only did owning gold and make a mega inflation on its way to the meca due to gold ridiculous gold tips to people. No matter if he had slaves.. was a common way to run on that age.. its sad but then the things was like that. Accept and move on.

Its a irrelevant figure, just good to flex about hes little history of excesive richness.. its just some tyshawn ego flex, is cool, its a nice graphic but just it, pose. Personally id like to get one of that crown logo decks.. maybe on green but guess it’s impossible to get  at tye momento on Spain

Btw.. somebody get one? Id love to get a review

Somebody’s know what board size tyshawn skate?

History aside, it's totally an ego flex...I mean the board co. is named King ffs, that's pretentious AF. Then use that as your graphic (all good intentions/awareness aside)...not hard to see the ego on display.

Still, better than Fucking Awesome, Disorder or Sandlot or whatever other tax write-off brands are out there.

[Urtripping]

@LebowskisRug I absolutely do not have my timelines mixed up. What I'm saying is that Musa ruled over a kingdom that did, as you repeated, exist long before industrialized European powers colonized much of Africa and other parts of the world.

I'm also under the impression still that the concept of racial inferiority (as we know it, and as it was invented by white Europeans to justify turning slavery into a global business), did in fact not exist as a motivator for the capture of slaves in 13th c. Africa. Rather, slavery occurred when competing ethnic or political groups were captured and taken as slaves. It is also my understanding that this form of slavery was far less brutal than the more modern incarnation we are so familiar with. I posted a quote in the other thread on UWTB that provides a comparison. Really though, as far as racism existing in other forms in premodern Africa, I could do some more learning, but it's my understanding that the concept was not used as the primary driving factor behind the capture of others for slavery. Again, not apologizing for this form of slavery, just differentiating it from the form we are all a but more historically closer to.

My knowledge also comes from time spent studying at university and then developing a curriculum to teach about the subject. I'm pretty confident I have it straight, but I'm always happy to learn, so please share with me some actual sources refuting what I've said and I'll consider them.

I'm pretty certain the Mongols, as led by Ghengis Khan and following rulers, never successfully invaded Africa, so I'm not sure what you're saying. Khan also ruled close to a hundred years before Musa, so if anything you need to double check your timelines.

[ok boomer]

[YeoWhattup]

Calm down guys, mansa musa is nobody, was just a mega rich african king that only did owning gold and make a mega inflation on its way to the meca due to gold ridiculous gold tips to people. No matter if he had slaves.. was a common way to run on that age.. its sad but then the things was like that. Accept and move on.

Its a irrelevant figure, just good to flex about hes little history of excesive richness.. its just some tyshawn ego flex, is cool, its a nice graphic but just it, pose. Personally id like to get one of that crown logo decks.. maybe on green but guess it’s impossible to get  at tye momento on Spain

Btw.. somebody get one? Id love to get a review

Somebody’s know what board size tyshawn skate?

8.18

[modern life is war]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

[close]

What's really cool is that it has people discussing an ancient African ruler whose positive impact on the development of the modern world has been largely erased by the rewriting of history after European colonialism. Hopefully some of these dudes will be able to get past the fact that a king practiced slavery 700 years ago and understand the intention of the board graphic.

[close]

what was his positive impact?

[close]

I'll give you one freebie: oversaw the development of Timbuktu into the largest intellectual center in Africa at the time, a flourishing city where the quality of life, even for the enslaved, was considerably higher than that in other parts of the world by many metrics (especially Europe, with it's own oppressive social structures and the black plague running rampant).

You don't fucking understand why the dude put him on the graphic so please just go and Google Mansa Musa and then hopefully you will shut up about it here. He's a symbol of black excellence (and yes, an IMPERFECT one), but still a valid one. His significance to the black community as a representation of a time when black people lived without  race based persecution and the influence of European colonialism should be enough for you fuckers to understand you should either learn about it or leave this the hell alone. Holding him to 16th-20th century standards with regards to slavery and acting like he's evil does not make sense.

Edit: and to answer your stupid fucking question from earlier, I teach a class comprised entirely of black and Latino students. It is much more interesting to them to learn about an extremely powerful person who looks like them than the white slave owning founding fathers. I still teach about those dudes, too, and all of their nuance, without just  seeing them as irredeemable or condemning anyone who tries to see the value in what they did.

right on thanks brah

[GBLange]

what's up with this King skateboard thingy?

[SmilingBoy]

what's up with this King skateboard thingy?

$60 decks that are sold out.

[Urtripping]

@LebowskisRug well, you didn't start the brand. Maybe send him your suggestions. One point you're failing to recognize is historical context. Mansa Musa was actually pretty progressive for being a king in that time period. Obviously, far less progressive than Kwame Nkruma, but there's about 700 years separating the two. He picked an African king because that's the name of the company. Any ruler like that from any time period thus far in history is going to have some form of blood on their hands, this we can all be sure of.

I am still wondering why you and others are so, so critical of this decision. Even if TJ did just pick Musa because of the stories of his wealth, I think you need to ask yourself why that makes you so upset. I think it has shown your lack of understanding about who he was and what he accomplished, as well as what he symbolizes currently to black Americans, like TJ, specifically. There are plenty of other great examples of black leaders he can use in the future, but I'm telling you it's strange to spend so much time and energy to tear down TJ's choice when the person selected is really not that bad of an example at all (certainly not the purely evil conqueror you're trying to paint him as), and fits really well with the concept for the brand.

I wholeheartedly disagree with the statement that the Atlantic Slave Trade was just as exploitative as premodern slavery in Africa. It was in scale, at the very least, much more so, and that's not considering it was an industrialized people's subjugation of non industrialized nations, or the fact that human beings were born and bred to be slaves within it, or that it fueled the economies of Europe and the American colonies, OR the very significant differences in practices for the treatment and assimilation of those held as slaves.

Also, calling culturally relevant teaching shallow and ignorant is fucked. I'm done having this conversation with you.

[Kombuch-A-Holic]

Urtripping, that's what Ye said this past week about someone.

 

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

That graphic is sick, its both art and a history lesson. We need more of that and less graphics parodying pop culture or collaborating with teryaki sauce companies

[close]

What's really cool is that it has people discussing an ancient African ruler whose positive impact on the development of the modern world has been largely erased by the rewriting of history after European colonialism. Hopefully some of these dudes will be able to get past the fact that a king practiced slavery 700 years ago and understand the intention of the board graphic.

[close]

what was his positive impact?

[close]

I'll give you one freebie: oversaw the development of Timbuktu into the largest intellectual center in Africa at the time, a flourishing city where the quality of life, even for the enslaved, was considerably higher than that in other parts of the world by many metrics (especially Europe, with it's own oppressive social structures and the black plague running rampant).

You don't fucking understand why the dude put him on the graphic so please just go and Google Mansa Musa and then hopefully you will shut up about it here. He's a symbol of black excellence (and yes, an IMPERFECT one), but still a valid one. His significance to the black community as a representation of a time when black people lived without  race based persecution and the influence of European colonialism should be enough for you fuckers to understand you should either learn about it or leave this the hell alone. Holding him to 16th-20th century standards with regards to slavery and acting like he's evil does not make sense.

Edit: and to answer your stupid fucking question from earlier, I teach a class comprised entirely of black and Latino students. It is much more interesting to them to learn about an extremely powerful person who looks like them than the white slave owning founding fathers. I still teach about those dudes, too, and all of their nuance, without just  seeing them as irredeemable or condemning anyone who tries to see the value in what they did.

[Pasta Monster]

What historical figure—especially anyone of power, didn’t have any controversy? The brand name is King and the graphic is of a king. People are overanalyzing this.

[IpathCats]

anyone know what woodshop they use?

or what the rules are on forgiving atrocities of the past?

because they certainly do not seem to be applied consistently and I'm honestly fucking confused.

I thought the whole "times were different" argument had been invalidated.

[Urtripping]

@Kombuch-A-Holic yes that's true, but now we're comparing to Hitler. Let's stay on topic, please.

@IpathCats I'd say understanding long dead historical figures were imperfect and contributed both positively and negatively, and are worthy of both celebration and critique, is much better than "cancelling" them and erasing them from any kind of discussion.

Never forgiving anyone for slavery, and I've said it bunches of times.

Edit: to punctuate that, I want to share a link @Youoverthere sent to me that I think is a valid, powerful critique of the act of praising figures like Mansa Musa without a critical lens. Some much needed reminders for me in this article about oppressed repeating their own oppression. For example:

Having been confronted with oppression, the oppressed have only that model of life and is yet to imagine new ways of being. Easily, they will fall into the trappings of that which they fight and risk to replicate the same oppressive systems.

 I also want to be clear that the approach some have taken, which is to come on SLAP and create threads titled things like "Tyshawn Jones endorses slavery," accomplishes nothing but drum up hate and fails to actually educate anyone. It does nothing to consider the oppressed, in our example, TJ, and does little to initiate change. I invite @modern life is war to read this, because you had some genuine questions in that other thread.

https://make-it-plain.org/2021/09/08/oppressor-like-me/

[layzieyez]

Thank you very much @Urtripping for trying your best to share the research you have conducted.

I don’t know everything about everything and value your insight greatly.

[Urtripping]

Thank you very much @Urtripping for trying your best to share the research you have conducted.

I don’t know everything about everything and value your insight greatly.

Yessir. I'm sorry to be bogging these threads down with my responses but I see what could be a good discussion and people reckoning with something important and challenging. It's just a dumb coincidence I happen to know a bit about it.

Last I'll say for now:

I'm thinking about it and its hard because Mansa Musa ruled at a time when any real collectivism, or even the idea of it, was so distant. It's always difficult when you view historical figures through more modern lenses (Freiere didn't write Pedagogy until the 1960s), which, as I've said from the start, has been what has made this discussion here so challenging for everyone involved. I still think the decision to use Musa as a symbol/representation of black success deserves a better understanding than what its been given here so far. TJ did this within the greater current capitalist sociopolitical context. It's a context that TJ operates within as the oppressed internalizing oppression, but one he seeks to fight in ways that he knows how or that are currently possible, such as starting this brand with this imagery. Not a perfect decision, but I also dont think it was one made out of lazy ignorance like some have said. That's a really unfair assumption packed with bias. Also, claiming he "embraces slavery" by putting out this board is a gross mischaracterization of what is going on here, and I think the folks who said this may have even known that. If they didn't, they certainly weren't putting forward any kind of meaningful analysis of the situation.

Keep in mind that this current capitalist context is one that we all participate in daily and without much of an individual choice, it's how our world is set up. To live in opposition to it is not an easy task (for one, it'd mean really changing the way you participate in skateboarding, which i know wouldn't be easy for any of us). All that said, we do have the individual choice to critique it. Change does start there. I for one am already starting to rethink how I present Mansa Musa to my students when this unit comes around.

[Boog]

Has anyone come into possession off one off these king boards?

[Murge]

What historical figure—especially anyone of power, didn’t have any controversy? The brand name is King and the graphic is of a king. People are overanalyzing this.

Idk. Everyone is kinda shitty.  Because people in general are kinda shitty. But if he keeps doing like black history I hope there’s a yasuke deck.

[augustmoon]

this product looks like dogshit

[thanksgiving]

this product looks like dogshit

[IpathCats]

@IpathCats I'd say understanding long dead historical figures were imperfect and contributed both positively and negatively, and are worthy of both celebration and critique, is much better than "cancelling" them and erasing them from any kind of discussion.

I agree, but I don't think that's what's happening across the board. It's pretty clear that this mindset gets applied to some and not to others. Can't quite put my finger on how that determination is made though.

[Lepanto]

Has anyone come into possession off one off these king boards?

Thats what i am trying to know but people keep talking about shits nobody cares.

Looking for info and review of that decks… woodshop… shape… step/mellow…

Btw somebody know what deck size tyshawn skates?